Hey, /lit
I want to read the Divine Comedy, but I am not yet sure of its difficulty. I don't often have time to really sit down and have a good read, so I mostly just read for about an hour a day in the bus, a bit distracted. So, is Dante's too difficult of a read to start it in these conditions?
>>7880276
Normally I'd say if you can focus there, doesn't matter where you read.
But you already said you get distracted there. So I'd not read anything long or complex. And this is both.
Tried earpluggs or earmuffs? Might help if it's the noise that's distracting you, like it is in my case.
Divine Comedy is no especially hard read. A lot of the historical references are lost on the modern reader, but the main narrative and thematic concerns should be easy to follow.
The difficulty of the actual writing I suppose depends on your translation, but is generally pretty clear in verse.
>>7880276
Start with the Greeks. Really. Too many references to appreciate the work. I read it and wasn't so impressed because I didn't understand who was who and what was what.
At the very least Metamorphoses - Ovid
>>7881281
Also bible, aquinas and require some astrology knowledge
>>7881281
What about editions with lots of notes about the references?Also what edition of Metamorphoses is recommended?
>tfw I read Edith's shitty Mythology when I could've read this
If I wanted Divine Comedy, I'd ask for your 1 rep max
>>7881810
Bump
poast Mandelbaum senpai
>>7881281
>At the very least Metamorphoses - Ovid
This is better than Dante honestly imo
>>7881810
>Also what edition of Metamorphoses is recommended?
Sheeeiiitttt been wanting to talk about this for a long time
I have the Oxford Melville and the Everyman's Mandelbaum translations. Melville is written more beautifully to me, though harder to understand. It also has good notes in it and is way cheaper (Got it for 2 bucks on thriftbooks). The Everyman's is easier to understand but you may need to google some things now and then because they're no notes. It's also more expensive at around 20 bucks. It's not as beautiful in my arguable opinion but its still well written in its own right.
>>7884562
Oh and don't listen to fags that say to read the Golding translation because "Shakespeare read it". You can read it for the literary value, but its so inaccurate that its no longer Ovid. Also, its a challenging read to me
>>7881281
>>7881521
These.
>>7881810
>>7882792
Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to be forced to use notes to explain every reference in classical lit like Dante? There will always be something the casual reader misses, but you will do yourself huge favors if you first become at least vaguely familiar with Greek tradition (and its creation of epic poetry as we now know it -- barring Gilgamesh -- which the Divine Comedy is, in case you didn't know that), the Bible, and early and influential fundamental church thought (Augustine, Aquinas).
Also notes can be overwhelming. For example, I just read two short works by Tacitus, and the notes were literally as long as the actual texts.
Don't read Dante on the fucking bus.
